The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company's youth troop the Broadway Beginners will be performing the classic hit show ANNIE Jr. for its inaugural show.

Leapin' Lizards! The popular comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world's best-loved musicals. With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan ANNIE charms everyone's hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan.

With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, ANNIE escapes to the wondrous and magical world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, ANNIE foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations and befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

Under the direction of Angela Marcum, the Broadway Beginners is a four week class that the kids get to learn all about the workings of musical theatre from beginning to end. Annie Jr. has over twenty kids from the Champaign Urbana area involved on and off stage. This show will sure to be a hit for young and old to see.

Annie Jr. will be performed on November 17 & 18th at 1:30pm at the Unity High School Auditorium in Tolono. Tickets are available online at www.cutc.org , at the CUTC office at 608 N. Cunningham Ave. in Urbana (Inside the Country Financial Building) or at the door.